Are the TT's of the 70-80 as good as the new ones

As mentioned, there are turntables even older than the 70s-80s that are better than the new ones. The Lencos date to the early 1960s, the Garrard 301 to the late 1950s! In a proper plinth and skillfully restored to good running order, they will easily trounce anything in practical consideration.

Check out Johnnantais's monster thread for a massive discussion on this very subject. I agree with Dopogue totally. My Lenco GL75 is tremendous, and I'm assured by Hi Fi World magazine that the Garrard 301 and 401 outperform easilly the Michell Orbe, which retails at £2500 ($4,500).

I second the recommendation to go for an old Technics table, if you're on a tight budget or a Garrard, if you can stretch it. My current setup is 2 Garrards (301 + 401) in my den/living room and a Technics SP-25 / EPA-100 in the study :)

If you are interested on new DJ TT. I suggest to try the KAB modified TT. Some folks have said it's the best money they have ever spent. Good Luck

http://www.kabusa.com/index_tt.htm

You may live very happily with older top models from Thorens, Sony, Kenwood, Denon, Technics etc. You should be aware that many newer DJ tables come with short straight tonearms specifically made for scratching. These will not allow you to mount your cartridge in the optimal geometry for regular music playback. I have that old workhorse of a Dj-deck, the Technics SL-1200mk2, and I prefer it over the Rega Planar 3 that I had in the past. The heavy platter, heavy plinth idler wheels look interesting if your willing to put in som work yourself. In brief: I would avoid the new Dj tables and explore older tables (which can be bought for a few hundred $ or less). Have fun!

- Harald

For a real treat, try to listen to one of the old Idler-drive turntables (Lenco, some Garrards, Rek-O-Kuts, Russcos, Thorens, etc.) that have been removed from their original plinths and installed in new high-mass ones (my newest Lenco weighs 70+ pounds). You'll recognize that there have been no real improvements since the 70s, unless your budget is simply stratospheric. Certainly not the current belt drives. Dave

the new dj tables are sturdy, but sonically do not compare with the regas,thorens, etc.